Multiple stapling-machine



H. B. WALTER. MULTIPLE STAPLING MACHINE. APPLICATION -F|LED MAY 14, m9.

Paented May 17,1921.

3 SHEETS-SHEET l WITNESS ATTORNEYS H. B. WALTER. MULTIPLESTAPLING MACH INE- APPLI CATI ON FILED MAY 14. l9l9.

Patented May 17,1921.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2- INVENTOR WITNESS ATTORNEYS H. B. WALTER;

MULTIPLE STAPLING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED MAYH", 191 9.

PatelIted May 17,1921.

Eg s:

ATTORNEYS UNITED srrss P- TNT OFFICE.

HARRISON B. WALTER, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO FIBRE CONTAINER COIaIPANY, A COREORATION OF FENNS'YLVANIA.

MULTIPLE STAPLING-MAGHIN'E.

' Application filed May 14,

T 0 all 10 7mm it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARRISON B. WALTER, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of Philadelphia, county of Philadelphi a, State of Eennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Multiple stapling-Machines, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, forming a part hereof.

The invention relates to a stapling machine of the multiple type wherein any number of a plurality of staples may be simultaneously driven through and clenched about the parts to be secured together by such staples. I

- The invention, however, relates more particularly to the staple gathering and feeding device, of which the former is in the form of an oscillating or reciprocating hopper and the latter receives staples from said hopper in a certain order and feeds, as required, a plurality of said staples simultaneously to the respective points where the driving and clenching are performed. The invention relatesto a machine of the type shown and described in my copending application, Serial No. 290,155, filed April 15, 1919.

As in said copending application, one of the objects of the present invention is to provide a machine adapted to use previously made staples with automatic means to separate and feed the same in multiple to the driving and clenching devices.

Another object is to construct a machine with novel and useful common means for containing and controlling the position of all of the made staples and from which means the staples for the several driving means may be separated and fed as required.

Another object is to provide a machine with a novel and useful means for separatand properlypositioning the separated ples in proper order to be successively ope'ated-upon by the feeding means.

Such other useful and advantageous objects as may flow from my invention will be disclosed by the following specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawing.

As aforesaid, the present invention relates to a machine for driving made staples in multiple rather thanfor successively driving es made from an indefinite piece of wire stock from which staple pieces must Specification of Letters Patent. Patented May 17, 1921.

1919. Serial No. 297,008.

first be cut and then shaped .into the form of staples prior to their stapling function. The advantages of using made staples for the purposes mentioned are clearly set forth in my aforesaid copending application.

A practical embodiment of my invention is presented in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure l is a top plan view of the device;

Fig. 2 is a vertical front elevation of the same;

Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse section of the same with the parts in one position of operation, and,

Fig. 4 is a similar view with the another position of operation.

Referring now more particularly .to the drawing in which similar reference characters are used to designate the corresponding parts in the several'views, l have-shown in a multiple stapling machine of rthetype reparts .in

ferred to above, generally, a reciprocatinghopper for containing made staples, trap bar separating means for receiving anddirecting the proper movement of the .separated staples from the hopper to ;.the feed devices and feed devices for receiving said staples from said trap bars and for simultaneously feeding the staplesto aplurality .of raceways wherein the staples simultaneously move by gravity to the several driving and clenching means which may .be'of any suitable type, or that referred to and dis closed in my copending application hereinbefore mentioned. I

The staple storing and containing means comprises a hopper l which isprovided with transverse angle members 2 and 3 at the bottom thereof, of which the former is located at the forward portion of the hopper and the latter at the rear portion.

Upon the lower flanges 4 and 5 of these angle members respectively rest the filler pieces 6 and the filler bar 7 of which the former are suitably located in spaced relation upon the flange 4 and the latter is longitudinally disposed upon the flange 5. The ends of the filler bar? and the end filler pieces 6 are connected by the end pieces 8 and 9 which may be suitably fastened thereto in any well known manner. These filler members and end pieces together with the angle members accordingly constitute a hopper frame upon whichthehopper-bottom short hinge pins 21. 'arily supported 1n the apertured cars 22 of and the separating means are supported. This frame, as shown, is of rectangular shape. Between the filler pieces 6 are located, upon the lower flange i and suitably secured thereto, a plurality of hopper hangers 10, the same being maintained in spaced relation by the filler pieces 6. Between the end pieces 8 and 9 and parallel thereto and located in predetermined spaced relation are positioned a plurality of separating or trap bars 11 with the ends there of respectively resting upon the inner ends of the hangers 10 and the filler bar '4'. The hangers 10 and filler bar 7 may be provided upon the upper surfaces thereof with a plurality of pins 12 and 13 over which the apertured ends of the trap bars are adapted to fit, said pins operating to maintain said trap bars in the spaced relation mentioned above. The angle members 2 and 3 have otherwise secured thereto the sheet metal sides 1 and 15 and ends 16 and 17 of the hopper pan which may be secured thereto by means of. screws or other well known suitable securing means. The pan may be provided with a closed rear extension 17 a is clearly shown in Figs. 3 and l.

The forward angle member 2 is provided with an integral upstanding flange 18 in which may be provided at suitable distances apart, a plurality of openings of a size sufiicient to permit the passage therethrough of the largest size staple intended to be used in the machine. The hopper hangers 10 project outwardly through these openings as continuations of thetrap bars 11 and are formed at the external ends thereof with tongues 19 formed in the shape of half rings 20 whereby the same may be adapted to removably fit over and bear upon the The latter are stationthe hinge members 23 in such a position as to hingedly support the tongues 19 between said ears 22. At the ends or extreme sides of the hopper, the tongues 19 are formed into an entirely closed ring 20 rather, than being open and are pivotally connected to the pins 21 which pass through the apertures of the ears 22 of the end hinge members 23 such pins being of greater length and maintained in place by cotter pins 24. This connection prevents the upward movement of the front end of the hopper which would lift the hangers 10 and the tongues 19 from the pins 21 thereby causing a disconnection thereof. If all of the hangers 10 were open at the tongue portions it is obvious that with an over-weight of staples in the rear end of the hopper, the forward end of the hopper would be lifted and disengaged from the pins 21.

It will be observed that the top surface of the trap bars 11 and the hopper hangers 10, as well as the top surface of the hinge members 23 are all in continuous alinement 1n order that any staples slidlng along the bars 11 toward the hangers 10 may smoothly bar a space slightly greater than the thickness of the legs of a staple, the width of each trap bar beingv slightly less than the distance between the legs of a staple. The trap bars 11 are preferably of the form of isosceles trapezoids in crosssection with the longer bases of the trapezoids in the upper surfaces of the trap bars and the shorter bases in the under surfaces of said bars. The spacin bars 25 are provided near the ends thereof with threaded apertures t in which are threaded the ends of the securing screws 27, the latter passing through suitable apertures 26 and 2?" provided, respectively, in the lower flanges 4 and 5 of the angle members and the filler members 6 and 7; It will be observed that the apertures 26 and 2'? are somewhat elongated in order to permit a limited movement of the spacing bars 25 with the screws 2? relative to the flanges a and 5 of angle member, for the purpose f adjustably locating the spacing bars 25 in proper relation with he trap bars 11.

The construction is such that staples of size up to the maximum may be used. this purpose, the trap bars may be of ietermined width. such as is suitreceive the particular size of staples separated for use, and secured into place upon the pins 12 in the manner hereinbefore -dis losed. Spacing bars 25, of the requisite width to provide spaces on both sides of the trap bars which permits the legs of the particular staples used to freely depend there through, chosen and placed upon the filler members. The screws 27 are t tightened for the purpose of rigidly securing the spacing bars into place against the filler l angle members. in this way the septing means is. within certainprescribcd i-s, expansible in its adaptability for din ent size staples. om the above, it may be seen that as the hopper is caused to incline in one direction or another that the staples placed therein may slide from one end of the hopper to the other and certain of said staples will fit over said trap bars with the legs of said staples depending in the spaces provided, at the sides of the trap bars, between the same and he adjacent spacing bars. With the staples in such position and the hopper inclined downwardly toward the front, such staples are adapted to slide downwardly along the trap bars and over the hopper hangers 10, as well as the hinge members 23,

it being noted that the members 10 and 23 are of the same width as the trap bars.

The openings in the sides of the angle member 2, through which the hangers 10 extend, and through which the staples pass as they slide over said hangers may be covered by the gate members 28 suitably secured, as by screws, to the inside face of the upstanding flange 18. These gates are of generally U-shape flat pieces with the legs thereof depending on each side of the hangers 10, and so spaced apart, as well as spaced from the lateral and top faces of the hangers to permit the free passage of the staples therethrough, the particular size of the gate used being determined upon the particular size of staples to be fed through the machine.

The hopper is provided at its lower portion thereof, with a'pivot bracket 29 which may be secured to one of the end members 8 in any suitable manner. This bracket is integrally provided with a pivot pin or pintle 30 adapted to pivotally fit in the lower end of the link 31 in any suitable manner. The other end of the link 31 is connected to the end of the crank 32 fixed to a shaft 33 suitably mounted in a bearing 34 supported upon the frame 35 of the machine. A gear 36 may be secured to the end of the shaft 33 and may be rotated by any suitable power driven means, such as is disclosed in my, hereinbefore mentioned, copending application. This gear is usually continually ro tated to operate the crank and link for the purpose of periodically reciprocating the hopper about the axis of the hinge pins 21 and 21. The side member 37 of the frame 35 may be suitably provided with an arc shaped slot 38 through which the link pin 30 may project and in which said pin may also reciprocate during the reciprocating movement of said hopper. The crank and he link are so proportioned as to give the hopper such an inclination that the same shall be greater than the angle of the repose so that when the hopper is inclined upwardly to the rear the staples may slide for wardly thereof and when the'hopper is inclined downwardly to the rear the staples may slide to the rear of the hopper.

Transversely between the side members 37 of the frame, is supported, at a suitable height, a carrier upon which are mounted the staple feed devices. Each of the latter comprises a base plate 40 supported upon the carrier 39 in spaced relation to the other base plates and secured in stationary position upon said carr er by screws 41, threadmg into'the carrier, the base plates being provided with elongated holes, through which said screws pass, for the purpose of affording a certain amount of relative adjustment between the base plates and the carrier.

At'the rear ends of the base plates are seing upwardly through notches 44 provided in the rear ends of the base plates 40 Each of the base plates 40 is also provided with an upwardly extending integral stop member 45. of the shape of an inverted U. These stop members are located opposite the ends 46 of the hinge members 23 and are also spaced therefrom a distance slightlygreater than the width of the head of a staple. In the opening provided between the legs of the stop member projects the end 47 of a trip lever 48, such end extending toward the hinge members 23. Each of said trip levers is supported in a pivot bracket 49 integrally formed with the base plate and projecting upwardly therefrom. Each of the trip levers may be provided with a rearwardly extending arm 50 through which may be threaded an abutment screw 51, the lower end of such screw being adapted to contact with the top surface of the base plate 40. Each abutment screw may be locked in an adjusted position by the lock nut 52. The end 47 of each trip lever lies adjacent to the end 46 of the hinge member 23 with the upper surfaces of said trip lever and said hinge member lying in the same plane and with the widths of said trip lever and said hingemember equal tothe width of the trap bar, that is to say, slightly less than the distance between the legs of astaple. The hinge member 23 may beformed with an inclined surface leading downwardly from the surface of the hopper hanger 10 and ending into a horizontal portion at the end 46. .From the above, it may be seen that staples may slide successively along the trap bars, the hinge members and finally upon the end 47 of the trip lever, where the staples abut against the stop member 45 and remain in position upon the end 47 of the trip lever, with the legs of the staples pendent on each .side of the trip lever, until forced downwardly through the opening 53 provided in the base plates beneath the end 47 of the trip lever. The end 47 of each trip lever projects beyond the. stop member 45, merely the distance equal to the 7 width of the head of a staple so that only one'staple may be supported upon the end of said trip lever at a time. Each trip lever may be maintained in its uppermost position by means of a spring 54 connected at one end thereof to said trip lever and at the other end thereof to a cross-head 55 located at a suitably spaced distance above the trip lever. Each cross-head overhangs the end of the trip lever and the hinge member 23,

and is provided with a depending plunger gage with a staple head to force the 56 of a thickness equal to the width of a staple head and of a width equal to the length of the head of a staple. The lower end 57 of each plunger 56 is adapted, in the downward movement of said plunger, to ensame downwardly into the opening 53. Each plunger in its movement is guided through a guide strap 58 suitably secured to the upper end of the stop member 45, as by screws. Each strap may also have attached thereto a pair of guard strips 59 which are so shaped as to overhang and be located parallel to the upper surface of the hinge member 23 and spaced therefrom at a distance slightly greater than the thiclmess of'the head of a staple. These guard members, th refore, act to maintain the staples in alinement and to prevent the staples from overriding or otherwise becoming entangled. The forward end of the hopper may also be provided with a plurality of brushes 6O suitably supported by bracket members 61 secured to the front surface of the angle mem ber 2, by any suitable means, such as screws. These brushes are of such a width and are provided wi h bristles of such length as to fit in and project through the slot or space 62 provided between the guard strips. As the hopper is oscillated, the brushes 60 are also moved therewith and are adapted, when the hopper reaches its uppermost position, to come into contact with the heads of the staples resting upon the hinge member 23 to hol d said staples in place or from movement during the time that the feeding plunger 56 operates. Each of the feeding plungers is held normally in an upward position by a coil spring 63 with one end of said spring pressing upwardly against the under surface of the cross-head 55, and the other end. of said spring pressing downwardly against the top surface of the base plate 40. Each cross-head is provided with an aperture through which projects a guide rod 64 rigidly fixed at its lower end to the base plate 40, such guide rod acting as a guiding means for the vertical reciprocation of the crosshead 55 and plunger 56. The upper end of each guide rod is provided with an abutment nut and a lock nut 66, which may be adjustably threaded on the end of said guide rod for adjustably limiting the upward movement of the cross-head and the feed plunger.

Transversely of the machine extends a horizontal feed bar 6'? disposed horizontally above all of the cross-neads 55 and with which it is adapted to contact in the downward'movement of said feed bar. The ends of the feed bar project outwardly through elongated slots 68 provided in the side portions 3? of the frame and in which slots the feed bar is adapted to vertically reciprocate. The feed bar is also provided near the ends thereof, just within the side-frame said lock plates with the side portions 87 prevents longitudinal movement of said feed bar. Reciprocation of the feed bar is obtained by meansof a pair of vertically disposed thrust rods 71, the upper ends of which may be connected to any suitable reciprocating means, such as a crank and gear, ant the lower ends of which may be con-- nected to a driving and clenching means, of any suitable type, as are shown in my copending application hereinbefore referred to. Each of the thrust rods is provided with an Lshaped feed timer 72, witlrone of the L suitably secured, as by set screws 73, to the thrust rod and with the other leg of the L overhanging the externally projecting ends 7 1 of the feed bar so that in the downward movement of the thrust rods with the feed timers the latter will be adapted to engage the ends 74 of the feed bar and to carry or move said feed bar downwardly with said thrust rods. The feed timers may be provided with somewhat elongated apertures 75, through which the set screws 73 are adapted to pass, in order that the feed timer may be, within certain limits, adjustably secured to the thrust rod. Such downward movement of the feed bar causes the same to contact with the cross-heads 55 and to move the latter, as well as the feed plungers, downwardly to simultaneously force, in multiple, a plurality of staples into their respective raceways 7 6. The latter may be secured in any suitable manner to the under side of the base plates just opposite the openings 58.

In operation, the gear 36 is continually rotating and the hopper is reciprocated angularly about the axis of the hinge pins 21 and 21 so as to incline the bottom surface of the hopper at opposite angles in such a manner that the staples may be caused to slide backwardly and forwardly over said surface as the hopper is so reciprocated. By such movement of a conglomerate mass of staples, a certain number will engage with the trap bars in such a way that the legs of the staples will fall into the spaces provided between the trap bars and spacing bars so as to depend therein and to cause said staples to hang on said trap bars by the 'heads thereof, and at the instant when the hopper is inclined upwardly, said staples will be caused to slide in line over said trap bars to the lower end thereof, over the hopper hanger 10 and through the spaces provided between the gates 28 and the hopper hangers 10, along the hinge member 23 and finally with the leading staple upon the end 47 of the trip lever. The inclination of the trap bars is such that with a line of staples arranged thereon, the weight of the same is sufficient to force the leading staples from the hinge members to the trip lever and to also maint in the leading staple on said trip lever. If, however, there are not suiiicientcstaples on the inclined hinge members to reach and maintain the leading staple in position for proper feeding action, the crushes 60 will operate, just as the hopper reaches its high est position, to contact with whatever staples are present upon the hinge members for forcing said staples toward the trip lever, thereby urging and maintaining the leading staple upon said trip lever.

it the time when it is desired to drive staples or to feed staples to the driving mechanism any suitable means, such as is disclosed in my aforesaid copending application, may be manually controlled to operate the movement of the thrust rods. As the thrust rods are caused to move downwardly with the attached feed timers, the latter will contact with and carry therewith, in their downward movement, the horizontal feed bar, which, in turn, contacts with and also carries therewith, simultaneously, the cross-heads and the feed plungers. The lower ends of the feed plungers, therefore, contact with the top surfaces of the heads of the staples hanging on the end of the trip levers and force said staples, as well as the end of said trip levers, downwardly. As the trip levers swing about their respective pivots, a position will be reached whereby the end of the trip levers will no longer be in exact vertical aline ment with the feed plungers but will swing,

to one side thereof and will permit the staples to slip off of the ends of said trip levers into the receiving end of the inclined raceways. The raceways are inclined at such an angle that the staples are adapted to slice downwardly with the points thereof foremost.

As the thrust rods are caused to rise, the coil springs 63, which have been placed under compression during the downward movement of the cross-heads, are now adapted to expand and to raise said crossheads and feed plungers, as well as the feed bar, to initial position. At the same time as the cross-heads are caused to rise by said springs, the same shall produce a tension in the springs 54:, thereby causing said springs to raise said trip levers back into position where the top surfaces thereof shall aline with the top surfaces of the hinged members 23. Such position of the trip members may be regulated and controlled by the abutment screws 51 provided in the rear end of the trip levers. :lhe hopper is so constructed that various slzes of trap bars may be placed upon the frame thereof. Spacing bars of different widths may be used to give; the proper spacing between the trap bars and the spacing bars. In this way, the hopper is, more or less, adapted to be used with various sized staples, without the necessity of totally changing the construction of a machine or requiring the performance of work, using difierent sized staples, upon different machines. The feeding devices are also secured to the carrier so that the same may be relatively adjustable toward ,each other, so that the staples may be fed thereto from the hopper at proper distances apart to suit the position of the raceways running to the driving andclenching means. In this way, the machine is also adjustableforspacing the relative feed means, at proper distances apart, to meet the requirements of the staple spaces upon the article to be stapled.

Having thus described one embodiment of my invention, it is to be understood, how ever, that such invention is not to be limited to t e particular details, or shown upon the drawing, but that the same comprehends other forms of devices adapted to carry out the results herein disclosed without departing from the spirit of my invention and the scoIge of the appended claims.

aving thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secureby Letters Patent is:

1. In a stapling machine comprising means for driving and clenching staples, the combination of reciprocable means for holding a quantity of staples, meansactuated by power .for reciprocating said holding means to agitate said staples, longitudinal separating means in said holding means provided with spaces for separating said staples and permitting the legs of said staples to depend in said spaces during sa1d agitating operation, ,means' .for receiving said staples from said separating means and for guidmg sa1d staples to a picking-oil position, pivotally mounted means with an end thereof normally adjacent said guiding means. for successively receiving staples therefrom and for holding said staples in picking-off position, power actuated means for picking off staples in a single multiple from said last mentioned means, resilient means for returning said picking-off means to inoperative position, means connected to said pivotally mounted means and said picking-ofi means for returning said pivotally mounted means to nornial staple receiving and holding position upon the return of said picking-off means to inoperative position and guide means for guiding said staples to said driving and clenching means.

2. In a stapling machine comprising a driving and clenching means and staple supporting means, the combination of staple positioning means and staple feeding means comprising trip members upon each of which a staple may be supported, vertically reciprocable means adapted to engage said staples and to move the same with said tripping means, means for actuating said reciprocable means in one direction and means for returning said reciprocable means in the opposite direction, and adjustable means on said tripping means for regulating the receiving position of said tripping means for said staples.

3. In a stapling machine comprising a feeding, driving and clenching means, the combination of staple holding and selecting means comprising an angularly reciprocable hopper, spaced longitudinal members secured to the bottom of said hopper, certain of said longitudinal members adapted to reing actuated by the movement of said hopper.

4. In a separating device for fastening elements, the combination of a rectangular receptacle, a plurality of spaced longitudinal members arranged in the bottom of said container over which staples are adapted to move in straddled relation, a pluralit of spacing members of different widths a ter-v nately arranged with said first mentioned longitudinal members and spaced therefrom, the ends of said first mentioned longitudinal members being pivotally connect ed to a plurality of supporting members for said fasteners, and means for feeding said fasteners in multiple to the fastening devices. I

5-.In a stapling machine comprising a driving and clenching means and staple holding means, the combination of means for separating said staples, means for positioning said staples and means for feeding said staples to said driving and clenching means, said positioning means comprising an upwardly extending member provided with an inclined surface curving at its lower end into a horizontal surface, said separating means being pivotally connected to said upwardly extending member, said feeding means comprising trip members positioned with an end thereof adjacent to the lower end of said upwardly extending member and adapted to receive staples thereon and vertically reciprocable means for operating said trip member for feeding staples to said driving and clenching means.

6. In a stapling machine comprising a feeding, driving and clenching means, the combination of staple holding and separating means comprising an angularly reciprocable hopper, spaced longitudinal members secured to the bottom of said hopper, said longitudinal members adapted to receive staples in depending straddled position upon the angular reciprocation of said hopper and said longitudinal members and adapted to guide said depending staples longitudinally thereof, said hopper being provided with lateral openings through which said staple guiding members project and through which said staples are adapted to move, staple supporting members pivotally connected to said projecting members and providing a continuous surface at all times over which the staples are adapted to slide, said supporting member provided with an inclined surface curving to a horizontal surface at the lower end of said supporting member and brush means attached to said reciprocable hopper for urging said staples into feeding position, said brush means being actuated by the movement of said hopper.

In witness whereof, I hereunto set my hand this 13th day of May, 1919.

HARRISON B. WALTER. 

